Animal-care experts from SeaWorld release a harbor-seal pup that was rescued from Children’s Pool in La Jolla, found suffering from life-threatening injuries July 31. Rescuers rehabilitated the little guy and released him to his home just five days later. SeaWorld courtesy photo by Kortney Sanders

Animal-care experts at SeaWorld completed their delicate mission recently of rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing a harbor-seal pup that experts said would surely have died if not for SeaWorld’s intervention.

The pup, less than a year old, was found at the Children’s Pool in La Jolla on

July 26 with monofilament wrapped around its neck. SeaWorld officials said the line was already cutting into the animal’s neck and he would have died without help.

Once the line was removed with surgical tools, the wound was cleaned and the animal was provided antibiotics to prevent infection, spending less than a week of medical rehabilitation and recovery at the park’s Animal Rescue Center.

The pup was returned to his ocean home July 31 at the Children’s Pool.

This year, SeaWorld San Diego’s Animal Care Team has rescued more than 185 ill, injured and stranded marine mammals, including sea lions, seals, whales and dolphins. SeaWorld officials said nearly 70 percent of the marine mammals rescued by the park are returned to the wild.